The Mockingjay's Sister
by Hailey Mockingjay
Summary: The Hunger Games from Prim's POV. Rated T for violence. (It is the Hunger Games)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **This is my first ever fanfiction. Sorry it's so short. Please review, it means a lot to me that anyone is reading this.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own The Hunger Games.

I wake up with tears on my face. Another nightmare. It had been a couple of days since the Reaping and I've woke up with nightmares ever since. Every night they're different, but it always ends with the death of Katniss during the games. A knock on the door had woken me up, this time from a dream of Katniss and I both being in the area, her dying in my arms. I sighed, pulling off my thin sheets, wiping my eyes, and making my way out of the bedroom that I shared with Mom. I make my way to the front door, the dusty floorboards creaking under me. I knew I would have to answer the door given that Mom still hadn't left her bed yet. After the reaping and seeing Katniss before they took her away, Mom and I went home. Mom retreated to our room while I sat in the kitchen. We were in shock. Another knock at the door brings me to my senses. I open the door and see Gale. He looks like he hasn't gotten much sleep either. He has bags under his eyes and his usually tough demeanor has changed to one of exhaustion.

"Hey Prim," he says. I can tell he's been out hunting and his game bag is still slung over one shoulder. Though he's only 18, two years older than Katniss, he looks older. His eyes are hard and determined. He's had to provide for a large family for a long time. When I think about it, he was only a year older than me when his dad died, and Katniss was even younger. He makes his way over to the kitchen table and pulls two squirrels out of his bag.

"Want to help clean them?" he asks.

"Sure" I mumble.

He sets the squirrels on the table and begins to work. It doesn't take long to clean them, though I know I'm slowing him down. He explains each part of the process, even though I'm only half-listening. I try to pay attention, I really do and I know worrying won't help Katniss, but I just can't help it. Before long, it's done and he turns to me.

"How's your mom doing?" he asks. I shake my head, thinking about the past few days.

"She hasn't left her room," I look down at my feet, "Or spoken much for that matter" She doesn't cry, not like I do, she just sits on her bed, staring off onto nothing. I'm worried that if Katniss dies, then Mom will be like she was when Daddy died. After Daddy died she was distant, her movements slow and she withdrew from us, sometimes not speaking for days at a time. I can already see some of this coming back. When she gets like this, it's like she not there, like I'm completely alone. He looks down at me a sad look in his face, sympathy I guess.

"Do you want to learn to hunt?" he asks. With Katniss gone and the possibility of never coming back I probably need to...

"No don't think like that," I tell myself. She will come back. She will win but, I should learn to hunt. Just so I can help out until Katniss gets back. Anyway, I do like to cook.

"Alright," I answer. I don't know what hunting is like. I've only ever been past the fence a few times. Twice when Dad was still alive, to the meadow, where Katniss and I played and picked flowers for Mom. I've also been a couple of times with Katniss, but it was never to hunt, though once she took me fishing in the stream. I think back to that moment, wishing it could happen again. We were laughing at each other's jokes and dipping our toes into the chilly stream. That day had been perfect. We came back home and cooked the fish together. For the first time in a while, the three of us were together, enjoying ourselves and cooking dinner. That evening we had Gale's family over for dinner. They brought what food they could and we all ate until we were actually full.

"Okay, I'll meet you here early tomorrow morning" he replies, "Can you be ready to go?" I nod and he turns to leave.

"Take care of yourself, Prim," he says, standing in the doorway, a concerned look on his face.

"You too," I say. I know this is hurting him more than he lets on. He and Katniss have been friends for years, they're practically inseparable. He walks out and I sit down at the table. Buttercup, my cat, jumps from the window onto the table. I stoke his fur absentmindedly thinking about what would be happening in the next few days. It always happened the same way. They ride in on chariots, they get interviewed in pretty dresses and suits, then they're thrown into the area to kill and be killed. I can't imagine Katniss ever killing someone, but she can't die. I don't know what I'd d without her. I miss her so much. Only a few days ago she would've been coming in, making breakfast and braiding my hair. I close my eyes, blinking back tears, and will it all to go back to how it was, how it's supposed to be.


	2. My Sister Is Wearing Fire

**A/N:** I'm sorry, I know they are still short. As the story progresses, I'm going to try to have the chapters 2,000 to 3,000 words long. Please let me know if you see any errors or have any suggestions.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _The Hunger Games_

I go to bed early that night and wake up around four. As I start to get ready, I can't help but think about Katniss. She should be taking me hunting for the first time. I pull on Katniss' leather jacket, I know she won't mind and borrow her boots too. The jacket is too big for me but it reminds me of Katniss. It's smooth on my skin and smells of fresh air, forest, and pine needles. I lace the brown boots as tight as they'll go, though they are still loose, and sit to wait for Gale in the kitchen. As I wait for Gale, I run my hands through Buttercup's fur. He reminds me of a little lion. His course fur is long and orange. He sure acts like he's a lion. He always acts like he's big and tough, but really, he just likes to be pet. It's a quarter past four, and only beginning to get light out, when I finally hear a knock on the door. Patting Buttercup on the head, I get up and slowly make my way to the door. I turn the handle and the door opens to reveal Gale, dressed like yesterday, greeting me with a small smile.

"Ready to go Prim?" he asks.

"Yes," I answer. I'm nervous for some reason. I guess it's partially because what we are doing is illegal. It doesn't feel right though, Gale hunting with me instead of Katniss. The sunrise is beautiful. The sky is lighting up and birds singing, oblivious to suffering below. Only a few people are up, but I know that later everyone will be outside, desperate to get out of their stuffy house. Seeing all the children always makes me sad, they shouldn't be going hungry and worrying alongside their parents. I wish I could help the children, give them food and teach them games, but we can barely provide for ourselves and with Katniss gone, it will be even harder. I sigh and begin jogging to catch up with Gale.

When we finally reach the fence, we stop for a minute. The fence is rarely on, but we still must listen for the buzzing. When we hear nothing, he walks down the fence line a few yards and then bends down. I watch curiously, not sure what he is doing or how we cross. Under the fence, he starts moving some long, dried pieces of grass, which I can now see was placed there. After a minute, I see a hole under the fence just big enough for us to go under. He motions for me to go first. I crawl under the fence in the soft dirt. He follows, in the same way, inching his way under the fence before standing up. We walk into the woods and within a few minutes, he points to a tree. At least I think that's what he's pointing at, I really have no clue. He's kneeling on the ground next to a sapling that looks like it's bent in half. He motions for me to come over to him. I walk towards him and realize that the sapling has been bent.

"It's a snare," he explains. I have heard Katniss talk about snares. She's said that Gale is really good at making them. She says he can think like the animals and knows exactly how they'll react to trouble or bait.

"Katniss told me you're good with snares," I tell him. He looks up at me for a moment, a pained expression in his eyes, before looking back down at the snare.

"Yeah, well she could beat me with a bow any day," he mumbles.

"She's better than anyone with that bow..." he says, his voice trailing off, still looking down. I sit down beside him, staring off into space. I feel hot tears running down my cheeks, and I don't bother to wipe them.

"I don't know what to do," I whisper. He puts an arm around me, shaking his head. I rest my head on his shoulder and try to control my breathing. He loves her, I can tell. I wish they could be together. I find myself wishing Katniss hadn't volunteered. Then she and Gale could get married, have kids, and be happy. After the Reaping, he went to say goodbye to Katniss then, I saw him running towards the woods. I think I saw a tear run down his cheek as he ran. I'm so scared, I don't know what to do without her.

"Let's go check that next snare," he says, his voice raw and laced with pain. Gale gets up and starts to jog down a well-worn path. Suddenly, he stops, turns a sharp left, and stalks into a deeper wooded area.

"There," he says. I see another snare set up, similar to the first but this time, with the sapling not bent over on the ground, but holding up a rabbit. He takes the mini noose off its neck and shows me the rabbit before storing it in the game bag. The rest of the morning goes on like this. We get two more rabbits and one squirrel. Gale walks me home, then turns to go.

"Thank you, Gale," I say.

"No Problem," he says and leaves to walk home. I cut up the rabbit that he gave me, just like he showed me yesterday, surprised that I remember how, and throw some of it onto the stove. By the time it's done, Mom is in the kitchen. She is finally changed out of the clothes she wore to the reaping, and her hair is in a messy bun. She gives me a thoughtful smile and goes to sit on our small, worn-out couch. I bring two plates for our breakfast, consisting of a bit of rabbit, and some cheese from my goat.

Mom turns on the TV, and we see that it has changed from the usual propaganda to Caesar Flickerman getting an audience "pumped up" as he calls it. After listening to his terrible jokes for a few minutes, they show recaps from the reaping.

District one is terrifying. When a girl is picked, you barely hear the name. Everyone is shouting, but it's not a protest. People are tripping over one another to volunteer. It starts the same for the boy, but he jogs to the stage and holds up his hand, motioning for the crowd to stop. He's grinning madly. It's sick, he actually wants to go to the games. In District Two, it is worse. They are both volunteers, and by the looks of it, it was planned and they know each other. They were both standing at the front of the crowd and volunteered immediately, grinning at each other. All the careers are terrifying. They have trained their entire lives and look to be pure muscle.

All the other districts fly by, but I'm not paying much attention to them until I see a young girl, probably my age, get picked. She's holding a toddler, probably around two, on her hip. She sets her down and, after coaxing her to stop crying, she walks up to the platform. She has dark skin and beautiful curly hair. I can't help but wonder, why we send all these people to die. It can't just be to keep us all in line. The next, I know, will be our Reaping. It shows me being picked then Katniss screaming, panic in her face, anger in her eyes. She yells to volunteer and unlike the career districts, no one cheers. Everyone holds up their hands in the three-fingered salute. The boy is picked and still, no one says a word. Mom moves to turn off the TV, then she wraps me in a hug, softly stroking my hair.

It's 7 now, and what will now be the nightly mandatory viewing comes on. Tonight is the start of the Hunger Games, or at least all the events beforehand. Tonight I will see Katniss. All the districts come out one by one in giant chariots. Flickerman is doing annoying with another guy who looks just as weird. Suddenly, everyone goes quiet before erupting in cheers.

"My, my, my. Who could that be?" He says, a bit too enthusiastically. I start to roll my eyes in disgust, but then I hear him again.

"It's Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark from district 12!" I look up immediately to see Katniss, covered in flames. I gasp. They can't kill her before the games. It's not allowed, is it? It zooms in on her and I see that she is smiling and waving. I finally exhale in relief, still shocked. My sister, it seems, is wearing fire.

That night, I fall asleep in Mom's lap on the couch, and for the first time since the Reaping, I begin to have a good dream about Katniss.

We are playing in the meadow. Daisies are growing in the tall grass, and we are braiding them into each other's hair. Then we begin to climb a tree. We get up to a high branch to sit down, and look down at the beautiful view below. Then, I hear a crunch, the branch snaps and I scream. We are about to hit the ground when I awake with a start.

Just like in my dream, it seems that all the good things in my life are coming to an end.

**A/N:** Please just take one minute to leave a review or follow. It makes my day. I'm going to try to have chapters posted once or twice a week.


	3. They Just Want A Good Show

**A/N: **Yay! I finally made it up to 2,000 words AND I finished two chapters in one day. I may or may not get the next chapter up tomorrow, it depends on school. I will get it up within the next couple of days. Thank you to all my readers. Please Review!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _The Hunger Games_

Once again, I wake up early. I'm not sure if I'm going hunting with Gale, but I sure can't sleep anymore. Everything seems to be affecting me and Mom differently. She's sleeping quite a lot. I can't blame her, I'm tired too, but I just can't seem to sleep. She wakes up late and takes a while to get out of bed. I, on the other hand, can't sleep, can't sit still, can't focus. I lie in bed awake for hours before falling asleep and waking up only a few hours earlier. The night before last, I succeeded in going to bed early, only to wake up almost every half hour. I've decided to only go to bed if I'm tired and to get up whenever I wake up. I hope eventually I can get some regular sleep. To my relief, I hear a knock on the door. I'm guessing Gale's here, and we're going hunting again. I like the woods. They are peaceful and thriving, unlike the Seam. I open the door and to my surprise, I see Rory, Gale's brother. He looks a lot like Gale, he has messy, dark brown hair and stunning grey eyes.

"Hello," I say, "Come in,"

"I um... well, how are you? I won't uh stay or anything, well, Gale asked me to come and see how you're doing so..." he stutters. He's nervous, but he usually is. He looks down at his feet, waiting for an answer.

"Oh, I'm alright, I guess," I answer, "Want to sit down?" I can tell he's pondering it.

"Well, alright," he says, sitting down at the table. I busy myself for a few minutes getting tea. I bring out Daddy's old tea kettle from the cupboard. It is the nicest kitchen tool we have. I remember that Daddy saved up for a year to get it. It is mostly copper, but the sides are plated with white glass. On the glass are painted flowers. We had tea with him every Sunday after getting it. Once it's filled with water and on the stove, I mix some herbs. We can't afford to buy real tea leaves, so we always make do with a delicious mixture of mint, chicory root, and dried dandelion.

"You will stay for tea, won't you," I ask. I don't want to sound silly, and I'm not trying to have a tea party or anything, but tea is comforting and I don't have much else to offer him.

"Yes, but you don't have to do all that," Rory mumbles.

"It's nothing, really," I reply, "Anyway it's nice to have someone to talk to."

"I'm really sorry about everything that's happening," he says. I smile, weakly, and nod.

"I miss her," I say, "It's just so quiet," We sit in silence for a minute before I finally speak again.

"Is Gale doing alright?" I ask. I look back up at him trying to read the expression on his face.

"I'm not really sure," he replies, shaking his head.

"He's different," Rory continues, "He talks even less now and he always leaves the room if she's brought up in conversation." He begins to tell a story about Gale and Posy, their four-year-old sister.

"She came up to him last night and asked why Katniss hadn't come to visit. She usually comes by every day you know. Posy still doesn't understand the whole concept of the Reaping. Gale's face got angry, and he said she'd be taken away. Taken away by very bad people and that she probably won't come back. Gale and Posy were the only ones in the room 'cause I was in my bedroom. I guess he thought no one was listening. Posy told Gale that she just wanted to see Katniss, and he said that he did too. Gale picked her up and sat her on his lap on the couch. Then she started to cry. After that no one said anything, but when I peeked out of my doorway, he was rocking her still on the couch, and he was crying silently. I didn't say anything to him, but I've never seen him cry. Not even when Dad died."

I look up at him once again, and I see the pained expression in his eyes. Tears had been gathering in my eyes, and I wipe them with the palm of my hand. I don't want to cry, not right now, but my sisters gone, and what Gale said was right. She probably won't come back. Tears are just beginning to spill over onto my cheeks when I hear the tea kettle whistling. It's done. I stand up and make my way to the stove. I blow out the little fire underneath the kettle and get out three cups. I stuff the herb mix into little bags that I make a couple of years ago and close them up. After putting in the tea bags and pouring in the water, I bring the first to cups to the table.

"I'll be back in a minute," I promise. I bring the third cup into my room and set it on Mom's nightstand. She's just blankly staring at the wall, but she stops me before I leave.

"Thank you, Primrose," she whispers. I just nod.

"I love you," she says.

"I love you too, Mom,"

When I return to the kitchen, Rory is sipping his steaming tea.

"This is really good," he compliments, "Your herbs?" I nod, smiling. Some people don't see it as worth it to grow herbs. Most people actually. They think it's a waste of time and space. Many people don't understand their healing properties. They usually change their mind after Mom and I heal and injury or cure a sickness. In a place with little access to medicine, it's really the best we've got.

"I should be getting back," he says, taking the last sip of tea.

He looks at me inquisitively for a moment before saying, "But we'll be over later," he says, smiling reassuringly, "You're not alone." I smile back up at him thankful to have a friend.

The next hour passes slowly, as I pace back and forth in the kitchen holding Buttercup. Eventually around 11, I end up on the couch, looking at our botanical book. I love to look through the book. Some of the plant's drawings are unfinished, and others unstarted. The first plant is Katniss. It has pretty green leaves and small white flowers. Under my father's drawing Mom has written: Hardy plant; Sometimes called arrowhead; leaves and roots are edible. In the upper corner of the page is a sketch of my sister. She is young is the sketch, but she still has her hair in a messy braid and even on the paper her grey eyes seem to shine. The next page is mine, the Primrose. The drawing of the flower is followed by an entry: medicinal; known as "king's cure-all"; not hardy. Similarly to the first page, I am drawn in the top corner. The rest of the book is sorted alphabetically. Though I have practically the entire thing committed to memory, I still love looking through the book.

It's six-thirty before I realize I need to make dinner. Mom is sitting at the table, tying mint together with twine so we can hang it up to dry. I'm glad that she is finally able to come out of her room. That she is coming out of her shell a bit. I get up to see what I can make for dinner when there is a knock on the door. Probably, Rory, I realize. I know he said he'd be over later, but I didn't realize that meant today. The door opens, and Posy comes bounding in.

"Primy!" she yells and she jumps into my arms. I can't help but smile when I'm around her. She is always so full of energy and joy. She is completely oblivious to the fact that she rarely gets enough to eat or that she has to wear her brother's hand-me-downs. The rest of their family stands in the doorway waiting.

"Come in!" I tell them. Gale walks over to me and rubs Posy on the head.

"I'm not exactly sure what was discussed, Rory just told us we were coming over for dinner. Mom believed him, but I know better than that. He just told you we were coming over, right?" Gale questions jokingly.

"Something like that," I laugh, "But seriously, you guys are always welcome. Our moms are talking, and it's so great to see Mom actually smile.

"You didn't have to do that," I hear Mom say. I turn around towards the table and see a feast. A whole chicken is cooked and on the table. In a bowl are strawberries and blueberries. We begin our feast. Both moms sit at the table with Posy and Vick, the boy between the ages of Posy and Rory. Gale, Rory, and I are on the couch. Suddenly the TV comes on and we hear the voice of Caesar Flickerman.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!" he's saying, "I am your host Caesar Flickerman!"

"After seeing the tributes stunning scores this morning I am sure you have all been waiting for the chance to see them fo yourself! Please welcome, The One, The Only, Glimmer!" I try not to watch the Careers, try not to look at the faces of those who will soon seek to kill my sister. The parts I do see, are terrifying. They all seem so ready to kill, excited even. It gets a little better once the Careers are done and by the time the girl from District 11 comes on, I'm watching it. She's wearing a blue dress and is now talking to Caesar.

The last thing she says is "If they can't catch me, they can't kill me, so don't count me out." She seems very smart. I hope Katniss has a similar strategy, I've have no doubt that she could survive if everyone just left her alone.

Finally, it's Katniss. Katniss's interview actually goes pretty quickly. She talks and makes a few jokes, though I can tell she's not comfortable. Then she is asked about me. I see her face go from pretty fake smiles to panic. She tells him what she told me saying goodbye, that she would try to win for me. I lean on Rory's shoulder my eyes stinging once again, and he puts his arm around me. I feel safe. Well sort of, I am mostly just terrified for Katniss. The last thing that happens, is that Caesar asks her to twirl. Now, once again, she is on fire. The bottom of her dress is covered with flames and sparks are flying. The audience cheers as their Girl On Fire walks off the stage.

The last tribute is Peeta Mellark. He gets along very well with Caesar, he will definitely be a crowd favorite. Soon Caesar starts asking about girls. At first, he refuses to even like someone but then,

"Well, there is this one girl..." he admits

"Do tell" Caesar encourages.

"I've had a crush on her for as long as I can remember, but I don't think she knew I existed until the Reaping." he continues. I roll my eyes, why is it always like this.

"Well, how about this," Caesar begins, "You win the games and go back home, and she'll just have to go out with you."

"Yeah, well that's not really going to help in my case." he sighs.

"Well, why not?" Caesar questions. He keeps doing the same thing giving a little information, just enough to make the audience want more. It's getting quite annoying, to tell the truth. I begin to zone out when I hear Peeta say one thing more.

"Because she came here with me." It takes me a few seconds to register what he just said, and by that time, several things have happened. The audience gasped, Mom almost choked on her tea, and Gale had stormed out of the room, and out of the house, slamming the door behind him. I already know why. Gale loves Katniss. He always has, but Katniss has been too blind to see it. Now, he's worried about this guy taking his place. It's a bit odd, I think, worrying about who likes who when they're about to die. But that's how the capital is, unfortunately, they just want a good show.

**A/N: **Please review. Please let me know if you find any errors or have suggestions.


	4. The Quiet Woods

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Hunger Games

"Give it up for the star-crossed lovers from District 12!" Caesar cries. What is he talking about? They aren't lovers. She doesn't even know him, at least not well. The Panem anthem plays, and the TV goes black. I turn to Rory, who, after watching Gale walkout, is beginning to get up. He motions for me to follow him, and we walk out of the house. We see Gale, jogging away from the house. Towards the woods, I notice.

Rory must notice the same thing, because he says, " The woods,"

I nod. I'm not sure that we should be following him, but Rory seems set on it, so I follow him. We walk towards him, the uneven cobblestone road under our feet, green sprouting through the cracks. We let the distance between us grow farther, so he won't realize we are following him. As we make our way to the fence, I can't help but wonder how Gale is going to get through the games. If she gets hurt, it will destroy him. He's already falling apart, it seems. I don't know how I'm going to get through this either. We stop at the fence and Rory looks back at me, confused.

"How do we get through?" he asks. I search the fence line for the grass that Gale showed me the other day. I spot it a few feet away. It's not as nicely covered as it usually is, I notice.

"There," I answer. I bend down and move the grass, pushing it to the other side of the fence like Gale showed me. I inch my way under the fence, and turn around, motioning for Rory to do the same. Once he's through and I replace the grass, and we begin to walk through the woods, pausing every once in a while, listening and watching for signs of Gale. The woods are always so quiet, so peaceful. It's not long before we see him in the distance. He's sitting on the ground, messing with the grass. He hasn't seen us yet. We walk closer, careful not to make noise.

"Leave me alone, Rory," Gale says under his breath. He sounds exhausted. I'm not sure how he knows we're here, he hasn't even turned around.

"Gale," I call.

"Yes, Prim?"

"Can I came over there?" I ask. I'm sure he'll tell me to go away, but I try anyway. I don't want to leave him here alone.

"Alright," he says after a minute. I'm shocked, but I try to hide it. I walk over to where he is and sit down.

"Sorry," he says, "Rory, you can come over here," Slowly, Rory comes over and sits by me. We sit in silence for a few minutes. Usually, I would try to start a conversation, but I know we all just need silence and time to think.

"Prim," Gale begins, "I... I'm sorry,"

"What?" I say. I'm confused. What does he have to be sorry for? None of this is his fault.

"I shouldn't be acting like this, even you're holding together better," he says. I still don't know what he's talking about. It's okay for him to be upset. I don't blame him for it.

"I should have volunteered," he continues. Now, I understand where this is going. He feels guilty.

"No," I say. "Everyone needs you here."

"Nah, everyone needs her more," he says. He's scaring me now.

"I should have volunteered. Then, I could keep Katniss alive to come back to all of you. Now all she has is some freak, feigning his love for her. He's going to kill her. Earn her trust and then betray her. If he wins the game I will kill him, because him coming back will mean that she doesn't. If he doesn't keep her alive..." Gale says. He's scary when he's this mad. He rarely gets mad, but when he does, it's terrifying.

"No, Gale, you're not going to kill anyone and she wouldn't have wanted you to volunteer," I reassure him, "Your family needs you, she understands that. She couldn't handle seeing you die, even if it meant she won. You matter so much to her." I hope it was the right thing to say. I'm not sure, though. It's all true, anyway. He means so much to her. They kept each other alive after our dad's died. I wish I could do more to comfort him, but I can't lie, and even if I did it wouldn't be believable. I wish I could say that she will win, but I know it's unlikely, and thinking that, will make the matter worse. I can't imagine life without Katniss, but by expecting her to just come back, I am lying to myself.

"It's going to be okay," I say. I'm still not sure how to comfort him, but I hate to see anyone upset. He stares off into the distance, nodding his head.

"Well, we'll leave you here for a while," I tell him. I know he'll be alright on his own for a while. In fact, that's probably what's best for him. Streaks of pink and orange are beginning to fill the sky.

"Come home soon," Rory adds, "Preferably before dark." Gale looks up at him, gives him a small, pained smile, and nods. I follow Rory, who is already moving to leave. We walk for a few minutes in silence, down a well-worn path, before Rory stops and turns around.

"He loves her, doesn't he?" he asks. I just nod. He sits down on a fallen tree and props his head up with his hands. He looks exhausted. The tree is parallel to the grown and has begun to decompose. Little mushrooms are growing on the end. He shakes his head, his dark hair framing his face, and I sit down next to him. I wish I knew what to do. He looks up at puts his arm around me. I lean into his shoulder and close my eyes. I feel safer in his arms like nothing else matters at the moment; but like all the times since the reaping that I feel even a slight bit happy, I feel even more guilty. How can I smile, when soon my sister could die. I don't deserve to be happy when she is being forced into an arena. He hugs me tightly and I realize I have started to cry. I don't know what I'll do if Katniss dies. She means the world to me. She is my best friend. I don't think I could ever be happy if she was gone. It's my fault. It's my fault she is now in the games. If I hadn't gotten reaped, or if I wouldn't have hesitated to go up, she wouldn't have had time to volunteer. Then I would be at the hunger games and everyone would be better off.

"Prim, don't hold it all in," I hear Rory's voice, but it sounds distant. I wipe my eyes.

"It's okay," he says, "You don't have to pretend." I look up at him, his face is wrinkled with concern.

"Tell me," he asks. I know he just wants to help, but I feel angry with him all the same.

"She shouldn't have volunteered," I say, standing up. Suddenly, I am filled with anger and scream in frustration.

"I can't live without her," I whisper sinking down to sit on the wooded ground. I start crying, even more, when I see a bright green Katniss plant right next to me. He comes and sits next to me. What he does next shocks me. He hugs me into himself and plants a kiss on my forehead. I freeze up, shocked. Then we hear rushed footsteps, cutting through dead leaves, and startling the silence of the forest.

"Rory! Prim! Where are you?" I hear Gale scream. He squeezes my hand and pulls me up to my feet.

"Right here!" he calls to his brother. Gale comes rushing over.

"What's going on?" Gale asks, panting from running to us.

"What do you mean?" asks Rory. Gale turns to me.

"I heard you scream, are you hurt?" I now understand what Gale is talking about.

"Sorry, I.."

"She was just frustrated," Rory finishes.

"Oh, okay," Gale responds, "I thought you were hurt,"

"Let's go home," Gale says quietly.

As we walk towards the fence, I see the last streaks of color racing out of the sky. Gale moves the grass under the fence once more, and motions for me to go first. I crawl under the fence and am soon on the other side. I watch Rory crawl under next. Once he's under, he stands next to me, and we wait for Gale. As we walk home, I feel Rory grab my hand. I gently squeeze his hand and he does the same. His hands are strong but soft. I see Gale looking at us, out of the corner of his eye, but as soon as I look at him, he turns his head. I feel my face growing hot, and I know I'm blushing. We don't talk much, but I guess Rory and Gale just aren't very talkative. They think a lot, but they tend to keep to themselves. Soon, we reach my house. There is a bit of light coming through the window from our lamp. The light is enough to see Mom sitting on the couch, alone. Their family has already left. Rory squeezes my hand again and wraps me into a hug.

"It's going to be alright," he reassures me, "We are here for you," When he loosens his arms arm me I take a step towards Gale. I begin to say goodbye when he interrupts me.

"See ya," he says smiling. He gives me a quick hug. I know he doesn't like hugs, he's only doing it because it's me. He treats me like a little sister.

"Take care," he says, smiling. I turn the rusty doorknob and step inside the house. Stepping over to the window, I watch them walk home until they fade into the night.

**A/N: **Thank you for reading. Please review. I will have the next chapter up in no less than a week, but probably before.


	5. Of Course

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games**

**A/N: Thanks for reading and please review. Also if you would let me know, would you rather 1,000 word chapters posted every couple days or 2,000 chapters posted around once a week?**

I wake up to the feeling of apprehension and dread. Today is the day. It's Sunday, the first day of the games always is. That means everyone is off work and can see the horror of the bloodbath. A "favor" from the Capital. I get out of bed and stand on the dusty wood floors. I grab the corner of my thin sheet and tuck it into my mattress. We only have a few thin sheets and one quilt, but we make it work. I flatten the sheet before walking out into the kitchen. The games start at ten, I have two more hours. I sigh and decide to make some breakfast. I make my way to the front door, grabbing my garden basket on the way out. I walk out, careful to close the door quietly behind me. The sun is rising above the trees and I shield my eyes. Though most people sleep in on Sundays, everyone is beginning to wake up. I see a few women hanging clothes on a clothesline and tending to gardens. I walk over to my little garden bed. I have two tomato plants, two pepper plants, and four strawberry plants. This year, my garden is doing well, but last year, I only had a few plants survive. I pick all the red strawberries and head to the door. On the right side of the door, I have a blueberry bush. I pick the ripe ones and put them in my basket. Between the blueberries and strawberries, the basket is nearly full. I walk back inside, forgetting my worry for just a few moments. Mom is up, I realize, and she is sweeping the floor. The floor is always swept every Sunday. I'm glad Mom is feeling well enough to do it. With how bad her initial reaction was, I can't imagine what the next few days will be like. If I lose Katniss, I could lose Mom at the same time.

"Good morning," I say, faking a smile, and I watch her do the same. I walk over to her and give her a quick hug. I hear the Panem anthem and see the face of Caesar Flickerman once again.

"It's a great morning, ladies and gentlemen! Today is the big day! The first day of the 74th annual Hunger Games!" he says. The crowd cheers. I'm sure all of them have paid thousands of dollars to watch it, and see Caesar live. Caesar keeps talking for a while, but I'm not listening, even as he starts going over the odds of each tribute. It's nine-thirty, only half an hour until the start. Without realizing it, I guess I have been wishing that the games would be canceled. They have never been canceled before and they probably never will. Still, I can help but wish that they would suddenly realize that this is wrong, and Katniss will be sent home. A knock on the door brings me back to my senses. I walk over to the door, not sure who it is. I open the door and see Rory.

"Hey Prim, I uh well I just wanted to see how you are doing," he stutters, "And I brought these for you." He holds up a turkey and a squirrel. Gale must have been hunting.

"Thank you," I reply softly. I take the game and set it on the table. I know the main reason he came is that the games start soon. I look at my feet. I am so scared.

"Will you stay?" I ask. He looks at me reassuringly.

"Of course," He takes my hand and we walk over to the couch. The TV is already on and there is a countdown until the start of the game. As we sit down, Caesar announces five more minutes.

"Prim," he says, getting my attention, "It's going to be okay," I nod my head slowly, my eyes widening in panic. My breathing becomes shallow and my heart is racing. I feel like I can't breathe.

"Prim, look at me," he commands. He looks into my eyes, gently holding my shoulders.

"Breathe," he says. I nod and attempt to take deeper breaths. Mom is sitting at the table, eyes glued to the TV. Slowly, as Caesar calls out two minutes, Mom walks over to me and sits down. It's comforting to be between them, but when I see the tributes coming into the arena, I once again, cannot breathe. They come out of the ground as usual. Each has their own platform. This year there is a giant cornucopia in the center of a circular clearing. It looks like the rest of the arena is woods. That could help Katniss. She is used to the woods.

"Let the 74th annual Hunger Games begin, and may the odds be ever in your favor," says a robotic sounding voice. The final countdown has begun. In a matter of seconds, people will die. 10, 9, 8, Katniss is looking at the cornucopia, looking at a bow I notice, 7, 6, 5, after zooming in on all the tributes, it shows them all once again, 4, 3, I see Peeta shaking his head at Katniss, motioning for her to run for the woods, not the bow, 2, Katniss turns her body towards the woods, 1, Go!

All the tributes run at once. Predictably most of the Careers head for the cornucopia. Katniss runs for a backpack and is wrestling with another boy for it. Within the next few seconds, the boy is dead. The girl from District Two, Clove I think, threw a knife at him. She throws a knife at Katniss, I flinch and look away. I look back up and realize Katniss had blocked it with her backpack and is now running towards the woods with a knife and the backpack. Katniss is safe, for now. The TV zooms in on the cornucopia. I see at least four bodies. Rory wraps me tightly in his arms and I close my eyes. I can't unsee it. The boy fighting with Katniss, then dropping dead with a knife in his back. I open my eyes to see that most of the surviving tributes running for the woods. The careers stay there though. The TV shows them sorting supplies and hauling it towards the lake. The TV flips through all the tributes once again. It shows all the careers by the lake, sorting food and weapons. Most people are just walking in the woods, not sure what to do. Some are setting up a place to stay for the night. The boy from 11 found a small field and is hiding in it. The girl from 11, Rue, has climbed a tree. As they show her for a few seconds, you can see her jumping from tree to tree. What she said was right, they won't be able to catch her. She's high enough up that it is hard to see her, and her dark hair blends in with the trees. Next, it shows Peeta. He is walking around looking lost. The camera stays on him for a bit longer than the last tributes. Suddenly, leaves crush underfoot. A career has found him. The boy from District One comes up to him and laughs. He is holding a spear, while Peeta is completely unarmed.

"Hello, lover boy, where's your girlfriend," he taunts.

"Hello, Cato," Peeta says cautiously.

"I'm going to kill you, you know," Cato continues, "So feel free to scream or beg for mercy," Cato is grinning maliciously.

"Or you know, you might be able to help us," Cato continues. Him saying us, means there is no doubt in the Career alliance.

"Do you know where she is?" Cato asks, "You help us find her, and we might spare your life," I know that he is referring to Katniss, but I'm not sure why they want to find her. What has she done to make the Careers after her personally? Peeta would never help them get to Katniss, right?

"Alright, I'll help you," Peeta answers. Cato grins. I turn away from the TV, still in Rory's arms.

"No," I whisper. He strokes my hair rhythmically and I struggle to keep my breath steady. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Mom get up and walk toward our room, but I don't lift my head. My eyes feel very heavy, and within minutes, I drift off to sleep in Rory's arms.

When I wake up, I am on the couch and the pillow from my bed is under my head. I worry for a moment that Rory has left. I sit up and look into the kitchen. By the looks of it, Rory is making dinner. The turkey he brought me has been cleaned, and he is throwing some of it on the stove. As sizzles, I see him take out a jar of rosemary and sprinkle some on the turkey. After a moment, he notices I'm awake.

"Hey Prim," he says. I look up at the rusted clock on the wall. It's already five. I slept for hours. It makes sense, though, I barely got any sleep last night.

"You stayed," I state, looking at him.

"Of course," he says like it would be unthinkable not to.

"Katniss?" I say. I forgot for a moment. Did I miss something? Is she okay?

"She's fine," Rory says, "She found water and is sleeping in a tree. I nod, relieved she is okay.

"Dinner should be ready in a few minutes, you should go get your mom." he continues. I know I will find her in her room, so I get up off the couch and slowly walk to her.

"Mom," I call, gently, "Rory made dinner," She is sitting on her bed, facing away from me. She nods slowly.

"I'll be there in a minute," she answers. I turn to leave, but she stops me.

"Is Katniss...?" she asks, not finishing her question.

"She's fine," I answer. She stands up, and I walk back to the kitchen. Rory has gotten out three plates and put a piece of turkey on each. I notice his piece is quite a bit smaller. I walk over to my fruit basket and put some strawberries and blueberries on each plate. I put a couple more strawberries on his plate. They are his favorite. When we were younger, when Gale and Katniss first met, we spent a lot of time in the garden together. We rarely made much progress with strawberries. Our families had thought it was just a bad year. In reality, the strawberries grew great, but when Rory and I went out to pick them, we ate about half of them. Looking back now, Katniss probably knew, but our dads had just days and we had to go without food so often, she probably just didn't mind. That was only four years ago, but it seems like longer. We have grown up a lot since then. We have had to.

We bring the plates to the table and Mom comes in. We sit down and begin to eat. Mom has bags under her eyes and a distant look on her face. Rory is only staying strong for us.

"How is Gale doing?" I ask.

"Well not great," he says, "But better I think."

"That's good," I say as if he's recovering from a cold instead of the pain of seeing his best friend being shipped off to the games. Most of the meal goes by without conversation. After dinner, we bring the dishes to the sink and we wash them together. The TV turns on once again, showing the games.

The Careers are hunting, for tributes. I am shocked when I see Peeta running around with them.

"Well where is she?" one of them yells.

"She ran this way," Peeta says. They are looking for Katniss. I start hyperventilating.

"Primrose!" Rory says, "You have to breathe." On the TV I can see smoke. Please don't tell me that's Katniss. She would know better, right? The TV cuts out to show the girl from District Eight. To my relief, she is the one with the fire and Katniss is nowhere in sight. That is until the TV shows her. She is only a couple of trees away from where the Careers are standing. Once again, I see the girl from Eight. Cato comes up from behind her and she turns around. Cato has a knife and she realizes this is the end. Rory and I walk over to the couch and sit down.

"Please! Please!" she screams, "I'll do anything! I can help you!" She is on her knees and crying. Cato thrusts the knife into her stomach. I turn away expecting a canon, but none go off. I look back thinking I might have seen it wrong. I saw it right. The girl is still screaming, lying on the ground, arms clutching her stomach. Cato takes the knife out of her and walks away. He doesn't have enough mercy even to end it and instead laughs at her screams. After a few minutes of her screams, Cato rolls his eyes.

"You," he says, pointing at Peeta, "Go finish her off" Peeta nods. I can't believe he's sided with them. I think this is the first time someone from 12 allied with the Careers. The screams have turned to gasps for breath by the time Peeta gets to her. Cato had given him the knife, but he sets it on the ground before kneeling next to her.

"I'm so sorry," he says. I realize that he doesn't have the heart to kill her. She is still sobbing as Peeta moves her curly hair out of her eyes and wipes her tears.

"What's your name?" he asks, whispering.

"Lacey" she croaks, barely able to say it.

"Okay Lacey, you're going to be alright. Everything's going to be okay," he says. He knows very well she will not live, but it is a kind gesture. She closes her eyes and a canon sounds. Peeta begins to walk back to the Careers picking up the knife. Right before he reaches the Careers, he looks up. He glances at the exact tree that Katniss is in and smiles weakly. Katniss didn't notice.

"I think she went this way," Peeta says to the Careers, pointing away from Katniss. If he knows where she is then... he's not on their side, and that means he's helping her.

"That's it for tonight, folks," Caesar says. The Panem anthem plays and the faces of the dead tributes flash across the screen. Eleven in total. Then the TV goes dark.

"It's been a long day," Rory says, "You should get some sleep," I nod and Rory heads for the door.

"Goodnight Rory," I call.

"Goodnight Primrose,"


	6. They have no power over us

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games.**

**A/N: I know it's been a full week since the last chapter, I've been pretty busy and this one was harder to write. Sorry about the wait and thanks for continuing to read my story. Please take a minute to review. Thanks again and enjoy!**

I wake up to the sound of my mother's screams. I sit up and whip my head around the dark room. Rain pounds on the window, clouds blocking the sun and making it hard to see. She's not in her bed. I throw my sheets to the floor and rush to the kitchen. I see Mom standing frozen in front of the TV. Then I realize what is going on. It's day two of the Hunger Games. The TV shows Katniss jumping from a tall tree. In the background is a blazing fire. I wonder, for a moment, if the Careers set everything on fire. Then I hear the dreaded voice of Caesar Flickerman.

"Our gamemakers are starting off with a bang!" he announces far too enthusiastically.

"These flying fireballs are the latest idea of our very own head gamemaker, Seneca Crane!" he shouts. The TV has changed from showing Katniss, to showing Caesar Flickerman in the same auditorium as always. In the background, a giant screen shows Katniss. The head gamemaker comes on stage and sits in a chair by Caesar. His beard is styled oddly. I will never understand who comes up for the ideas for the Capital's hideous fashion. So far, they haven't put Katniss in anything ugly. It has all seemed to fit her. She has been dressed in fire, and that seems to go well with her personality. I'm only half paying attention to Seneca Crane and Caesar, who are talking about the games. It is terrible to listen to. They seem so excited, talking about how awesome the bloodbath was. They also talk about the 50th Hunger Games, when the record number of 18 tributes died in the bloodbath.

"You know, I do like it when they knock out around ten in the bloodbath," Seneca Crane says.

"And why is that?" Caesar asks. For a moment, I think he is seeing reason. Why would you want ten people to die? Then I see the curiosity on his face.

"Well," Seneca says, "It's great to have a fun bloodbath, but once you kill off some of the weaker ones it's good to have some left, you know? More fun to watch it over a longer period."

"Oh yes! I do agree," Caesar replies. It makes me sick to be reminded that this is how they see the Hunger Games. In the video before every reaping, they tell us it's just our reparations from the rebellion, that if there hadn't been a rebellion it would have been fine. I know better. There must have been something wrong at the time for there to have been a full-scale rebellion. I know the games are to scare us, to show us that we are small and worthless and that we have no power over the Capital. That is also a lie. If we had no power over the Capital, if they weren't scared of us, there would be no games. Sometimes, I wish there was something I could do to change it. It's not right, but I'm not sure what I can do.

"Tell me, Seneca, what was your inspiration for this fire?" Caesar asks. I look up again and see that Katniss' leg has been badly burned. She is still running, though I can tell it pains her.

"Well, her nickname is the girl on fire," he explains. I know what he's talking about, the chariot dress, the interview, it all caught fire.

"I figured the audience would love to see how our girl on fire would react to being set on fire, for real this time." he finishes. He says this very attentively like he has had this all planned out since the chariots. He probably has.

"How thoughtful of you," Caesar says, "And to all our sponsors out there if she does make it past these fireballs, that's just one more reason to bet on her!" The TV goes back to showing Katniss. After a few minutes, the firewall stops advancing and Katniss runs towards a pond. I let out a sigh of relief and let myself relax. The TV changes and shows the Careers. They have piled all their supplies together in a giant mountain near the lake. I turn away from the TV and make my way to the kitchen. I bring the last bits of the leftover fruit to the table where Mom is now sitting.

It's a little after ten when we hear pounding on the door. For the last half hour, it has been near-silent, so when I hear the noise, I jump. For a moment, I fear it is a peacekeeper, though I don't know what we could have done wrong. Then, before I can even reach the door, it is flung open. Gale is standing there out of breath. His face is dirty and a bit bloody. Unfortunately, I am used to this, mining accidents happen almost once a month. The conditions of the mines are terrible and collapses are far too common. The worse one in recent history was the one that killed my dad. It killed a few hundred men, Gale's dad included. I quickly examine the situation while clearing the table. Gale looks a bit hurt, but nothing bad. Another guy is slung over his shoulder. I'm not sure how Gale can lift him, but I'm guessing that it has something to do with adrenaline. The man is unconscious and doesn't look like he is doing too well. Gale sets him on the table as gently as possible. Behind him, is two other men. One is holding the shoulders of an older looking man and the other is carrying the feet. The man is fading in and out of consciousness. When I realize this, I run to my room. In our small closet, we have an extra cot for times like this. I bring it out and motion for him to be set down. Mom rushes Gale and the two other fully conscious men to the couch and tells them to make themselves at home. Then she begins to examine the man Gale was carrying. I kneel down next to the cot and begin my own work.

"Hello sir," I say, trying to sound casual. No matter what the injuries, it is best for the patient to stay calm.

"What's your name?" I ask. I begin to examine him. A large bump is forming where he must have hit his head. It's bleeding a bit, and it's very dirty. If I don't clean it well, he could die from an infection.

"Ronald, Ronald Avery," he whispers.

"Well Mr. Avery, my name is Prim. You had an accident in the mines?" I ask. He just nods.

"My mom and I are going to help you, okay?" I say. He nods and mouths "Thank you," Along with the head injury, he has a large gash on his left leg. I get a rag and begin to wash his face. After I can no longer see coal dust and blood, I walk to the cupboard to get a yarrow salve. After a minute, I finally find some crushed garlic to put in the salve. The garlic helps to fight infection. When I come back, I see that he is once again drifting off. He has a concussion and I know he needs to stay awake. If he doesn't stay awake, it's hard to see if he is recovering or getting worse.

"Mr. Avery, I'm going to put some yarrow on your head now. The yarrow helps to keep it clean and stop bleeding." He is still zoning off, so I keep talking.

"The yarrow is a wildflower. It's very pretty in the early summer" I tell him, "Two years ago, it grew so well we hardly knew what to do with it." He smiles. I am finally keeping his attention.

"Actually, almost everything grew very well that summer. Once, my sister took me out to a nice meadow and we had a picnic. After eating our sandwiches, we picked wildflowers and herbs, and guess what! We found huge blackberry bushes, and we ate until we couldn't eat another berry. Our hands were stained from the berries and so were our faces." I love to remember that day, and I can tell he enjoys listening to the story. I continue to talk about various adventures with Katniss, as I move onto cleaning and dressing his leg.

"Where is your sister?" he asks after a while. I tense up and try to think up a response.

"She's not here at the moment," I say.

"What's her name?" he asks. I take a deep breath, I am not going to break down now.

"Katniss," I answer.

"Wait…" he says, obviously putting the pieces together, "And your name is?"

"Prim," I say, "Primrose Everdeen." He nods.

"I'm so sorry," he says. I nod and smile gently.

"Yes, now you're all cleaned up and you should rest," I say, "But since you have a concussion, you shouldn't sleep for the next few hours so we can monitor you." He nods. I bring the remainder of the herbs back to the counter and ask Mom what I can do. After mom tells me that she doesn't need help, I look towards our other patients. One is around Gale's age and the other is older.

"Mr. Avery should recover fairly quickly," I tell them.

"What about Cyrus?" Gale asks. That must be the one who came in already unconscious.

"I'm not sure. He has many injuries, including internal ones. What happened to him?" I ask.

"Got caught under rocks during a cave-in." Gale answers. I nod understanding. I quickly assess their injuries. The younger one has a broken ankle, but I cast it quickly. The older one just has a few bruises and scrapes, which I patch up quickly even though he says he only came to take the two who are badly hurt. Gale has a small cut on his forehead. I clean it and dress it before moving into the kitchen to boil water. Mom uses the water to make different dressings and medicines. Cyrus isn't looking good. With the water leftover, I make tea, Mint, and Lavender. It should help to calm Gale and the others. I will never understand why they have to deal with such terrible conditions. I hear a knock at the door. I really hope it's not another accident, we won't have room. I open the door to see Rory. He looks frantic. he is out of breath from running and his hair is in his eyes.

"Is Gale here?" he asks. He sounds terrified.

"Rory?" I hear from behind me.

"What's the matter," Gale asks. Rory runs towards Gale and puts his arms around him in a tight hug. It's almost a full minute before he pulls away from Gale.

"I heard there was an accident in the mines, and a guy said you were coming here, and I thought you were hurt or ..." he trails off. Gale nods and puts his hand on Rory's shoulder.

"Everything is okay," Gale says. Rory nods, sitting down on the couch and trying to slow his breathing. I turn towards Mom and see Cyrus is still unconscious.

"Is there anything I can help with?" I ask. Mom shakes her head.

"I've done everything I can," she says grimly, "But he's still not looking good." I nod with understanding. She's not expecting him to recover, at least not without major injury.

"Why don't you go out to the herb garden?" she suggests, "It could use being weeded."

"Alright," I say, "Do you want me to harvest some?" Though it's the last bit of summer, many of our plants are still in full bloom.

"No, we can do that together after dinner," she answers. I smile and nod.

"But for right now why don't you ask Rory to help you." she says, "I think it would be good for both of you," She smiles at me and I walk towards Rory. Rory is still sitting on the couch, his head in his hands.

"Hey," I say gently. He looks up tiredly, his hair falling in his face.

"Do you want to come and help in the garden?" I ask. He looks up at Gale, his questioning look asking for permission. Gale nods.

"Sure," he says uncertainly. We walk slowly to the front door. Once we're outside, he turns to me.

"I… I'm… Prim, I'm sorry. I wish I could help you, but I don't know what to do." he stutters. I smile at him.

"You have already done so much," I say, "Thank you," I don't know how I could have survived this long without him. There's something about him that just makes me feel safe.

"Let's go," I say quickly. I lead him around to the side of the house, to my herb garden. Different types of herbs grow in rows, they are sorted by their main use. The most common uses are wound healing, cleaning, and treating sickness. I kneel down at the edge of the garden and he does the same. I begin showing him how to identify the weeds. He catches on very quickly and seems to enjoy it. I find myself wondering how good of friends we could be, how good everything could be, if only we weren't controlled by the Capital. If the Capital couldn't control us, we could make a change. We need to show the Capital that they have no power over us. I shake the thoughts from my head and smile up at Rory.


	7. One Wrong Move

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games**

**A/N: Thanks for reading. Please review! Constructive criticism is welcome and appreciated!**

I lie in bed, thinking about the events of the day. Two of the men have to stay the night tonight. Mr. Avery has to stay because he has no family, and he shouldn't be alone since he has a concussion. Cyrus on the other hand still isn't conscious. Mom said that he might be in a coma and that he won't survive unless he wakes up soon. He is so young. Gale told us that he starting working at the same time as him. They are both only 18. Aside from that, the day has been alright. Rory and I went outside earlier, just to weed the garden. As we finished, we ended up throwing dirt at each other. I guess I accidentally tore a weed up and flung the dirt towards him. He retaliated by throwing a handful at me. Within a matter of minutes, we were chasing each other around, dirt in hand. I couldn't stop laughing. It was the most fun I've had in a while, since the Reaping, I guess.

I look over at the clock, painfully aware that I can't sleep. It's one in the morning. I sigh, I've been lying in bed for three hours. I get up and decide to check on our patients. Mr. Avery is sleeping peacefully. I smile, knowing that I helped him. I walk over to the table to check on Cyrus. He looks asleep, but not very peacefully. His face is creased and he looks to be in pain. I wish I knew how to help him. I quickly change a couple of his dressings, making sure to clean them before I add more salves. Finally, I finish and I make my way to the door. I have never left the house at night before, and I'm not sure I should. I stand at the door for a moment, before quietly turning the handle and fitting through the still mostly closed door. The door usually squeaks, so I make sure to open it as little as possible so I don't wake Mom. I don't have anywhere in mind to go, but I turn right and walk along the empty street. It's a cool night, and the breeze is a welcome change from the heat of the day. I look up and see what must be a million stars. They all look so perfect, surrounding the crescent moon, twinkling and giving more light than it seems possible for such little things so far away. I continue to walk down the cobblestone street. Not one person is out; a rare sight. I don't know where to go, or why I decided to take a walk, but it is better than lying in my bed, trying to go to sleep. I wish I could talk to Katniss, if only for a minute. It doesn't seem real. One minute she's here, tucking me into bed and braiding my hair. The next second she's gone, and nothing I can do will bring her back. I am so alone. I had one person to turn to, one person to trust, and they take her away. I feel a hot tear running down my face. I keep walking. Step after step, all I can think about is how alone I am. This isn't how it was supposed to be. My vision is becoming increasingly blurry from tears, but I keep walking.

I've been walking for a while before something grabs my attention. I am still walking through neighborhoods, and a few houses away I see a dim house light on. I rub the tears from my eyes and make out a figure sitting on the porch. I wonder if I should walk over there. I stand still for a moment before I decide to find out who it is. As I near the house, it becomes obvious where I am. I used to come over here once in a while with Katniss. It was always fun when we came over. Mrs. Hawthorne usually baked cookies, and everyone would play a game. Once I know this is Rory's house, I feel more confident in finding out who is outside. Apart from me, they must be the only person in the District still awake. The figure stands up and walks towards me.

"Hello?" he calls. It's Rory, I realize. For a moment, I wonder what in the world he is doing out this late. Then again, I've just been wandering around for probably an hour.

"Hey, Rory," I say. He's still a few yards away, but he stops.

"Prim?" he asks.

"Yes," I say. I'm finally standing right next to him, and I can see that he looks confused.

"What are you doing here?" he says, "And why are you out so late? Is everything okay?"

"I just decided to take a walk," I say truthfully.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asks. I shake my head.

"Me neither," he says, "Want to sit down?" I nod, and he leads me back towards the porch. We sit in silence for a few minutes, on the steps to his house. It feels nice to just sit here, the cool breeze in our faces, the warm night. After a while, he finally speaks.

"What's bothering you?" he asks. I'm sure he already knows, but it's nice that he asks. I sigh.

"I'm just, well... scared and stressed," I tell him.

"I don't know what to do," I tell him, "I just feel so alone." His eyes have a sad, distant, look in them.

"Well, Prim, I don't know what to say," he says, "But you're not alone." I look up at him.

"I'm here for you," he says quietly. I lean my head on his shoulder.

"Thank you," I whisper. A single tear slowly rolls down my face, and he puts his arm around me. I close my eyes and my breathing steadies.

The sun is rising by the time I wake up. Rory's arm is still around my shoulder, steadying me, keeping me safe. I am resting on his shoulder while his head is gently leaning on my head. I hear footsteps behind us. Rory lifts his head and we both turn around. Standing in the doorway is Gale. He looks down at us. His eyes look tired and his stance is relaxed. He looks slightly confused, but honestly not as much as I would expect. It's as if he's not really surprised.

"Morning Prim," Gale says casually.

"Morning," I say softly. Rory turns to me.

"You okay?" he asks. I nod. I am so grateful for Rory. He is easy to talk to, and can always calm me down.

"You two want to come inside? I'll have breakfast ready in a few minutes." Gale says. Rory nods. Gale steps back inside and closes the door. Rory stands up and reaches out for my hand. I give it to him quickly, and he helps me up.

"Thank you," I whisper. I'm not really thanking him for helping me up, though that may be what it seems like. I'm thanking him for helping me, and for staying with me. He smiles, and I know he understands.

We walk inside and sit at the table. Their house is laid out in the same way as ours: the kitchen when you walk in, a small living room connected to the kitchen, and a bedroom to the right with a bathroom attached. The main difference, is on the left side, opposite the first bedroom, is a second bedroom. All the boys share that one, while their mother and Posy share the first. Gale sets down two plates of food. I take mine, and slowly begin to eat the berries. After eating a couple of the berries, I try the meat.

"Alright, can I ask why you two were on the porch this morning?" Gale says while sitting down with his own breakfast. I turn to Rory as he starts to explain.

"Well," he says, "I couldn't sleep last night so I decided to sit on the porch for a few minutes, you know, just to calm down. Then I saw Prim walking around, and invited her to sit with me. We talked for a bit, then I guess we just fell asleep." Gale nods.

"You alright?" Gale asks, turning to me. His eyebrows bunch up with concern.

"Yeah, I just couldn't sleep," I say quietly.

"Does your mom know your here?" he asks. I shake my head. I was planning on going right back home after a short walk. I defiantly did not mean to spend the whole night here. I hope she isn't worried.

"Well, given how worried I was, waking up to Rory being gone," Gale says, "I run over real quick and let her know you're staying with us today." I look up at him.

"You really don't have to, I was just going to go home," I tell him. He shakes his head.

"I'll just stop by on my way to the mines," he says. He's out the door and on his way within a few minutes. Rory and I finish up breakfast and bring our plates to the sink. Quietly, we begin to wash them.

"Good morning," I hear. We look up to see Mrs. Hawthorne coming out of her bedroom.

"Prim is staying with us today," Rory says quickly.

"Fun!" Mrs. Hawthorne replies cheerily, without thinking. Mrs. Hawthorne is the exact opposite of my mother, in looks and personality. She has the customary looks of the Seam: short dark hair, olive skin, and a determined smile. She has a very fun and welcoming personality for someone who has been through so much hardship.

"Have you had breakfast yet?" she asks.

"Yes," I answer with a smile. She has always been so helpful to us. She is always willing to share what they have, though they have just enough to scrape by.

"When are you kids getting back to school?" she asks. In everything, I forgot about school.

"Uh... I'm not sure. Will we get in trouble?" I ask.

"No," she says, "In these situations, they always let the families have a bit of time. Well, the kids at least." That reassures me. I really don't want to have to face everyone at school. Our conversation is interrupted by the Panem anthem. I suddenly realize with terror, that I didn't see any of last night's games. I only saw the morning. What if... I force myself not to think it, and turn my attention to the TV.

"Good Morning, Panem!" Caesar exclaims, "After the interesting turn of events last night, who knows what today will bring." Interesting. He said interesting. What does that mean? For someone from the Capitol, it could mean anything. Last year, he said it was interesting when a tribute from 11 was tortured by a Career.

"Let's have a quick recap of last night!" he says. The screen flashes scenes of Katniss running from the fire, her sitting in a pond, and the Careers chasing her.

"No," I whisper. I move towards the gray couch. Rory follows me, a hand on my shoulder. It shows Katniss climbing up a tree and taunting the Careers. I shake my head. She climbs higher as Cato follows her with a sword. Suddenly a branch breaks, and he is sent flying to the ground. Next, I see the girl from one attempt to shoot Katniss with a bow. Thankfully, it misses Katniss by about a foot. They cut away to when it is almost fully dark. The girl from 11, Rue, is in a tree near Katniss. She gets Katniss' attention and points up. The last scene they show is a nest of Tracker Jackers falling on the Careers, killing the girl with the bow, and injuring the rest.

"Now, an update of our Girl on Fire!" Caesar announces. Katniss is on the screen now. She is lying down near some rocks, and she appears unconscious. Rue is shown walking towards her. For some reason, I don't think Rue will hurt Katniss. I am proved right when Rue is shown chewing up an herb and placing it on Katniss' stings. After a few moments, the TV cuts out to show the Careers. Cato and Clove are hunting once again, when they find the boy from District 3 kneeling on the ground, trying to start a fire.

"Well, well, well, who do we have here?" Cato smirks. The boy whips in head around, eyes wide with terror. He gets to his feet and turns to run, when Cato steps on his foot, sending him face-first into the ground.

"Can I kill this one," Clove pleads. The boy makes a motion to get up, and Cato kicks his face.

"You got to kill the last one," Clove says, pouting. She looks and sounds so much like a rich toddler crying for candy. I can't believe it. She is in the middle of the Hunger Games, yet she is pouting at who kills who! Has she even realized that each tribute is a human?

"I can help you," the boy chokes out. Blood is dripping from his nose where Cato kicked him. Cato laughs shortly.

"And how would that be?" he says looking down at the boy.

"How could someone like you help someone like us?" Cato asks scornfully.

"I um I could, well, I um could protect your food," he stutters. Cato raises an eyebrow in doubt.

"I could reactivate the mines," the boy blurts out. Cato studies him like he is prey.

"Hm, might be worth a shot," Cato says, "But one wrong move and you're dead."

I turn away from the TV. Isn't that the entire games? One wrong move and you're dead. Isn't that how you get in the games? The wrong slip of paper gets drawn, and the next thing you know, you're getting shipped off to the Capitol. Then again, that's how life is here, too. Breaking the law once and getting shot by a peace keeper. Losing a job and no longer having enough money or food.

I wonder what it would be like in a world where one wrong move didn't cost you your life.


	8. Survive

_Disclaimer: I don't own The Hunger Games_

_A/N: Hello everyone. I am so sorry about the long wait. I have joined a couple of competitions and am finding it hard to keep up. This chapter is a bit short, but I thought it was the right place to end it. I am hoping to get another chapter done soon. _

_Thank you for reading and enjoy!_

* * *

I turn to look at the old clock on the wall. It's almost one in the afternoon.

"I should probably head back home," I say.

"Alright, Prim. We would love to have you back over soon." Mrs. Hawthorne says. She smiles but has a sad look in her eyes.

"We will always be here for you," she says, pulling me into a gentle hug. I walk to the door and Rory follows me onto the porch.

"See ya," he says quietly. Slowly, he pulls me into a hug. His arms are strong and warm, and I don't want him to let go. After a few moments he lets go and looks into my eyes.

"Prim, I..." he shakes his head, "If you need anything let me know," I nod, I don't know where I would be without him here. I give him a weak smile and walk to the road. Once I'm a little way down the road, I turn around once more. Rory waves goodbye, and I do the same.

The walk home seems shorter than it was last night. It takes less than fifteen minutes, and before I know it, I'm at our door. I turn the handle and push the door open.

"Morning, Mom," I say. Mom is sitting on the couch. The TV is on and playing an interview, but I don't think she's watching. She's got the all too familiar distant look in her eyes. I walk over to the table. Jumping from the windowsill onto the table, Buttercup greets me. I run my hand over his coarse fur and he purrs softly. I pick him up and begin to walk to my room.

"I'm going to our room for a while," I say. Mom acknowledges this time with a nod but still doesn't say a word. I walk into the room and set Buttercup down on the bed. Reaching down under my bed, I find his brush. I remember begging Katniss to get a brush for him. Katniss never liked Buttercup, but after a while, she found a brush and traded for it. I begin to brush his fur. I'm almost done when I hear a knock on the door.

"I'll be right back," I tell Buttercup. Mom is still on the couch when I open the door. Standing outside our door is a lady in a bright flowered dress with green hair.

"Oh, hello! You must be Prim!" she says. Between her costume and her Capitol accent, it's hard not to laugh. What does stop me from laughing, is when I recognize her from the Reaping. Everything about her is out of lace in District 12. It's not just her clothes, either. While her bright poofy dress is very different from the monotone clothes that most wear, it's more than that. Her accent and cheery voice contrasts with our quiet and usually worn down way of speaking. The heels that she wears forces her to take tiny steps, which would make it impossible to do any of the work that we are used to.

Standing behind her is a man that does not look like he's from the Capitol. He has dark skin and short black hair. His skin and hair aren't dyed, and the only makeup I see on him is gold on his eyelids. He pushes past the lady to introduce himself.

"I'm Cinna," he says, "I'm Katniss' stylist," I look up at him confused.

"Why are you here?" I ask. Though I'm more comfortable around him than the lady, I am still wary of anyone from the Capitol.

"Well, as you know, your sister is doing quite well in the games. Since there are only ten people left, we have come to get you ready for your interviews, should Katniss make it into the final eight," he explains. The final eight tributes are a pretty big deal in the Capitol. They always show the story of your life and interview your family and friends. I had forgotten about it until just now.

"May we come in?" he asks.

"Oh, yeah, sorry," I say, stepping out of the doorway.

"Effie, why don't you introduce yourself to Mrs. Everdeen," Cinna says. I look up at him.

"You can sit down if you'd like," I say, trying to be polite. Cinna sits down at the table and smiles.

"Would you like some tea?" I ask. I try to remember how Mom would greet guests, as she isn't well enough to at the moment.

"That would be very nice," he says. I nod and put some water in the kettle. When the kettle whistles, I finish the tea, pour it in two cups, and sit down at the table.

"Prim," he says, "I know this can be a lot to take in, but I want you to know that it is in your best interest to do well during the interviews. Your sister has put you in the perfect spot for being able to win more sponsors,"

"What do you mean?" I ask. I don't understand how I could get more sponsors.

"The Capitol loves you," he says. I must look as confused as I feel because he keeps going.

"You're Katniss' little sister. You mean everything to her, and the Capitol knows that. She volunteered for you, and then promised that she would win for you," he explains, "Now, we need to let the Capitol get to know you. Once we do, there'll be more sponsors. Everyone will want Katniss to come home to you. After the interviews, she might have enough sponsors to survive."

Survive, he said, not win. No one ever wins these games.

"Okay," I say, determined, "How can I help?"


End file.
